Fintan Coogan Jnr
Fintan Coogan Jnr | |
|---|---|
| Senator | |
| In office September 1997 – September 2002 | |
| Constituency | Administrative Panel |
| Teachta Dála | |
| In office November 1982–February 1987 | |
| Constituency | Galway West |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 June 1944 Galway,Ireland |
| Political party | Fine Gael |
| Parent |
|
| Alma mater | University College Galway |
Fintan A. Coogan(born 2 June 1944) is an Irish formerFine Gaelpolitician fromGalway.[1]He was aTeachta Dála(TD) for five years, a senator for five years, and was twiceMayor of Galway.
Early and personal life[edit]
The son ofFintan Coogan Snr,a long-serving TD and councillor, Coogan was educated at St. Joseph's Secondary School in Galway and graduated fromUniversity College Galwaywith a BA degree and a H.Dip.Ed. A lecturer inbehavioural sciencesat theGalway-Mayo Institute of Technology,he has also served on the boards ofGalway Airportand of the Great Southern Hotels Group. He is married with three daughters and one son.[2]
Political career[edit]
Coogan followed his father into politics, becoming a member ofGalway County CouncilandGalway City Council,and when his father died in 1984 he was appointed to succeed him as a member of theWestern Health Board.[3]
Coogan unsuccessfully sought election toDáil Éireannin theFebruary 1982 general electionfor theGalway Westconstituency, failing to regain the seat previously held by his father. However he succeeded at theNovember 1982 general election,giving Fine Gael a rare second seat in Galway West. He was defeated at the1987 general electionbyLabourcandidateMichael D. Higgins,whom he had ousted in 1982. He stood again at the1989and1992general elections, but never returned to the Dáil.[4]
In 1997 he was elected to the21st Seanadon theAdministrative Panel,but was defeated at the 2002 election to the22nd Seanad.Fine Gael had suffered heavy losses at the2002 general election,and the party chose to prioritise younger politicians who appeared to be strong candidates for the next election to the Dáil.[5]
Coogan was mayor ofGalwaycity from 1988 to 1989, and 1994 to 1995.[6]He remained a city councillor until his defeat at the2004 local elections.[7]At the1999 local electionshe was not selected as a candidate by his local party, was imposed by the party's national executive, and held his council seat with a majority of just two votes over hisProgressive Democratsopponent, fish wholesaler Gary Creaven. The recounts extended over two nights, and when his victory was confirmed Coogan said "On the third day, he rose again", promptingThe Irish Timesto write an article about him under the headline "City's Lazarus claims resurrection status as he defeats provider of fish".[8]
In a January 2008 comparison of the council elected in 2004 with its predecessor, the localGalway Advertisernewspaper gave Coogan a rating of 5 out of 10, noting that "at times he made good contributions but frequently appeared uninterested".[9]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^"Fintan A. Coogan".Oireachtas Members Database.26 June 2002.Archivedfrom the original on 8 November 2018.Retrieved15 February2008.
- ^"Senator Fintan Coogan".Fine Gael website.The Internet Archive. 2001. Archived fromthe originalon 27 November 2001.Retrieved15 February2008.
- ^"Providing Health services for 30 Years"(PDF).Western Health Board.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 19 November 2007.Retrieved15 February2008.
- ^"Fintan Coogan".ElectionsIreland.org.Archivedfrom the original on 11 September 2007.Retrieved15 February2008.
- ^Marie O'Halloran (20 July 2002)."Young candidates defeat former TDs in contest for Administrative panel".The Irish Times.Archivedfrom the original on 11 October 2012.Retrieved15 February2008.
- ^"Mayor of Galway City".Galway City Council. Archived fromthe originalon 19 November 2007.Retrieved15 February2008.
- ^"Local Elections, 11 June 2004: Galway No 1 (East & North Ward)".ElectionsIreland.org.Archivedfrom the original on 22 February 2011.Retrieved15 February2008.
- ^Lorna Siggins (15 June 1999)."City's Lazarus claims resurrection status as he defeats provider of fish".The Irish Times.Archivedfrom the original on 11 October 2012.Retrieved15 February2008.
- ^"Which council is really the worst council ever?".Galway Advertiser.15 January 2008.Retrieved15 February2008.